DRAGON BALL: Raditz at the Movies, Volume 1: Curse of the Blood Rubies
by Sonic Thunder Saiyan Turtle
Summary: The first retelling of the 4 Dragon Ball films, except with Raditz in 'em! 1st up, young Goku and his older brother Raditz become part of an adventure when a teenage girl named Bulma recruits them in helping her find 7 magical orbs called "Dragon Balls", but they soon decide to aid a little girl in saving her home from a greedy king and his ruthless army. Will they succeed? DUH!
1. Prologue and Cast

**DRAGON BALL: RADITZ AT THE MOVIES**

 _The retellings of all 4 DB films, featuring Raditz_

adaptated by **SCRAPPY-DOO-FAN**

Volume #1: Curse of the Blood Rubies

 **STARRING THE VOICE TALENTS OF...**

(Japanese/Harmony Gold/Ocean/FUNImation)...but no AB Groupe. Nobody cares about those guys.

* * *

YASUNORI MATSUMOTO/DAN GILVEZAN/MICHAEL YARMUSH/ZACH CALLISON as Goku

KOICHI YAMADERA/CASEY KASEM/TONY SAMPSON/BENJAMIN DISKIN as Raditz

HIROMI TSURU/WENDEE LEE/LALANIA LINDBJERG/MONICA RIAL as Bulma

NAOKI TATSUTA/DAVE MALLOW & BARRY STIGLER/ALEC WILLOWS/BRYAN MASSEY as Oolong

TORU FURUYA/KERRIGAN MAHAN/TED COLE/CHRISTOPHER R. SABAT as Yamcha

NAOKO WATANABE/CHERYL CHASE/KATHY MORSE/BRINA PALENCIA as Puar

IKUE OTANI/EDIE MIRMAN/JENNIFER HALE as Gine

KOHEI MIYAUCHI/CLIFTON 'CLIF' WELLS/MICHAEL DONOVAN/MIKE McFARLAND as Master Roshi

KENJI UTSUMI/STEVE KRAMER/DOUG PARKER/FRANK W. WELKER as Shenron

MAMI KOYAMA/EDIE MIRMAN/TERYL ROTHERY/KATE OXLEY as Pasta/Raven

 **TOMIKO SUZUKI/REBA WEST/ANDREA LIBMAN/CHERAMI LEIGH** as Pansy/Penny

 **SHOZO IIZUKA/PAUL WINCHELL/MICHAEL DONOVAN/BRIAN MATHIS** as Penny's Dad

 **DAISUKE GORI/KEN SANSOM/DOUG PARKER/PETER CULLEN** as Turtle

 **GORO NAYA/MICHAEL McCONNOHIE/ROBERT O. SMITH/JOHNATHAN BROOKS** as Bongo/Major Domo

 **SHU'ICHIRO MORIYAMA/MIKE REYNOLDS/GARRY CHALK/JEREMY INMAN** as King Gourmeth/Gurumes

Narrated by: **JOJI YANAMI/MAURICE LaMARCHE/JIM CONRAD/PETER CULLEN**

* * *

 _In the beginning, there was only fire...but then Earth's guardian created 7 orange orbs called "Dragon Balls". Once united, the eternal dragon SHENRON would be summoned forth and grant the discoverer a single wish. Then, when the wish was granted, the 7 balls would be scattered to the four winds, and Shenron would return once more to his fiery lair, until the next year passed and another brave or foolish soul dared to seek out the balls and get their wish..._

* * *

 **CHAPTERS**

 _1\. An Unlikely Meeting! Bulma, Son Goku, and Raditz, Too_

 _2\. The Great Chase! A Stolen Dragon Ball_

 _3\. Enter the Oolong! A Wily, Shape-Changing Monster_

 _4\. The Wrath of Yamcha! The Ferocious Desert Bandit_

 _5\. Clash! Raditz and Goku VS. Yamcha_

 _6\. Penny's Plight! And A Surprise Visitor_

 _7\. Yamcha's Ambitions!_

 _8\. A Meeting with the Master_

 _9\. The Negotiations_

 _10\. The Fearsome Kamehameha_

 _11\. Showdown in the Skies_

 _12\. Working Together_

 _13\. The Might of King Gourmeth_

 _14\. One Big Wish_

 _15\. Movin' On Out (Raditz's Song)_


	2. An Unlikely Meeting

A/N: _I'm back, dudes and dudettes! I decided to write this as an Alt. Universe to maroyasha's "Limits are Meant to Be Broken", wondering..."What if Goku and Raditz were sent to Earth together?" However, I decided to adapt the Dragon Ball films instead of the show itself. Things are more-or-less the same, except Son Gohan passed on from natural causes instead of being trampled to death, and Raditz taught Goku how to keep his cool during the Great Ape transformation. This will be shown in the adaptation of "Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle", featuring Zach Callison as Goku and James Arnold Taylor as Raditz._

 _For the record, this adaptation will feature elements from the film, along with bits from the episodes/manga chapters it's loosely based on._

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE:** An Unlikely Meeting

Deep in the forest of Mount Paozu, in a tiny one-room cabin, lived a pair of young boys...brothers, in fact. Raditz was the eldest of the duo, at age 16, and was easily recognizable from his long, spiky haircut. His younger brother, Goku, at age 12, had hair that wasn't as spiky, as well as a red bo-staff on his back. Since their adoptive parent, Son Gohan, had passed away a few months back, the two brothers lived on their own.

Goku and Raditz had just finished getting dressed and were ready to head out and do some hunting.

"We're off to catch some food, Grampa! Wish us luck!" smiled Goku, clasping his hands in prayer. He was talking to an orange ball with 4 red stars inside it.

"Step up the pace, Kakarot!" yelled Raditz, impatient. "Those fish aren't going to wait around while you chatter!"

Goku replied, "Just a minute!" then turned to the orange ball on the pillow. "I know Raditz is kinda grumpy, but if you see good in him, then so do I. He SAYS he can't stand me, but I know he likes me. Kay, we'll talk some more later, Grampa!" he giggled as he headed out the door.

The two brothers bounded through the woods, swinging on vines and leaping from branch to branch. "Look out fishies, Goku's a-comin'!" laughed the young boy as he leapt into the lake, joined shortly after by his older brother. Swimming through the water, they noticed a fish as big as a VW bug racing right towards them. Raditz, however, quickly dispatched it with an energy blast, which knocked the fun-sized Moby Dick right out.

Goku sniffed, annoyed. "I could've gotten that," he pouted. "One well-timed kick, and..."

Raditz chuckled. "And you would be, dare I say it, sleeping with the fishes."

* * *

Elsewhere, an odd-looking motorcycle was cruising down the path. It was driven by a blue-haired teenage girl in a magenta dress and blouse, labeled on the front "BULMA". In her blue hair, she wore a red bow which secured her braided ponytail. She glanced up to see a large airplane cruising overhead.

"What's a plane doing out here in the wilderness?" she asked herself. She reached into her sidebag and pulled out a flat, circular device, then pressed the little button on top. The circular screen showed a small red triangle, as well as a blinking yellow dot several inches away from the triangle.

"According to my radar, the Dragonball is just ahead. It's MINE!" she vowed as the plane flew further. "But to get it, I may have to play nasty..."

Back with our two brothers, the plane flew over their heads as they looked up while carrying home their fish.

"What a big bird, and listen to its tummy growl..." wondered Goku. "Weird, looks like it's trying to land near our house..."

Raditz narrowed his eyes at the aircraft. "That's no bird..." he glowered.

But before they could comment further, they heard a scream of terror. It was the girl on her motorcycle, trying very hard not to crash into them. The vehicle swerved, knocking the brothers into a large rock as it fell on its side and skidded to a halt.

"Oh, man...I hit them..." shuddered Bulma. _What am I gonna do?! I'm way too pretty for jail..._

But to her sudden surprise, the two boys got up, unharmed. Being a bit older than Goku, Raditz was naturally stronger and more experienced, though Goku was a little bit bruised in the skull.

"Hey, you stupid monster! Come outta your shell an' fight me face-to-face!" growled Goku, rubbing his head.

"Oh! They're alive!" gasped Bulma. _Thank Kami...now I don't hafta worry about possible jail time..._

"Don't think I don't know what you're planning!" yelled Goku, unsheathing his Nyoi-bo. "You're tryin' to steal our food! Well if ya want it, you gotta fight us for it!"

Bulma's face paled visibly. With a charging scream, Goku lunged at Bulma, a fire in his eyes as Bulma screamed in terror. Quickly, she pulled out a pistol and shot Goku and Raditz six times.

"OW, THAT STINGS! WHADDYOU HAVE AGAINST A FAIR FIGHT, ANYWAY?!" snapped Goku angrily. At this point, Bulma was almost certain she had lost her mind.

"I...I shot you two three times!" Bulma blanched. "How are you not dead?!"

"It's gonna take more than some stupid rock-shooter to kill us!" retorted Goku, spinning the Power Pole. "Prepare to get beaten, ya filthy monster!"

Bulma, panicked, put her hands up. "Wait, time-out! I'm not a monster, I'm human!" she yelped, as Goku leapt into the air.

"KAKAROT! STOP!" boomed Raditz. Goku managed to slow his assault as the Power Pole simply broke the window.

"You're human?" asked Goku. Bulma nodded, gripped with terror. "Don't look it."

At this, Bulma turned angry. "YOU WANNA SEE A MONSTER, KEEP PUSHIN'!" she snarled.

Raditz's face briefly flushed red. _Such fire...such spirit..._

Eventually, Bulma had exited the motorcycle, and Goku and Raditz were checking her. Well, Goku was checking her. Raditz, on the other hand, was checking her out.

"Like I said, I'm as human as you!" said Bulma.

"So how come your legs are all long an' skinny-looking?" asked Goku. "Sure you're not some kinda stork?"

"I'm not a bird, I'm a girl! Something _you'll_ figure out in a couple of years." responded Bulma.

"I already knew that." commented Raditz, his face still flush.

"What's a girl?" asked Goku.

"Wait, are you saying you've never seen a girl before?" asked Bulma, bewildered.

"Well, when you live in the mountains by yourself, you don't exactly get many visitors." replied Raditz.


	3. The Chase is On

Chapter 2: **_The Great Chase! A Stolen Dragon Ball_**

"The only other person I've seen besides Raditz was our grampa, an' you don't look like him," explained Goku. "Do girls not have tails?"

Confused, yet curious, Bulma peeked over to see Goku's wiggling, bushy tail...as well as Raditz's, which had unwrapped itself from around his waist. But before she could further investigate, the two boys ran over to the motorcycle. Goku quickly snatched up the fallen orb nearby, despite Bulma advising otherwise.

"That's MY dragon ball, you snake! Give it back!" she demanded.

"No, it's not!" protested Goku. "It's grandpa's! He gave it to us!"

Then, inspiration struck Bulma. "Hey, it must be YOUR dragonball that popped up on my radar!"

"What's a dragon ball?" asked Goku and Raditz.

"Well, take a look and see," explained Bulma. The two boys glanced at the orange orb as she continued. "This one has a different number of stars in it than your grandpa's, right?"

Raditz whistled, impressed. "No foolin'...the old man's has 4 stars, but this one has TWO!"

A few minutes later, Bulma was running down the path, determination on her face. "C'MON! Can't you run faster?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Let's see YOU run fast while carrying a 200-lb. fish!" came Raditz's reply.

"Forget it, I'll explain later!" groaned Bulma. "Your grandpa's in danger!"

At the sound of this, Goku instantly sped up, with Raditz rocketing right behind him, both leaving Bulma in the dust.

By the time the trio arrived at the house, the Dragon Ball was gone. In its place was a small golden coin. Raditz glanced at it, took a sniff, and glowered.

"Whoever left this here...they're still nearby..."

Suddenly, they all heard the loud hum of jet engines. Rushing outside, they saw that the plane was flying away.

"Great, they're getting away!" groaned Bulma. "That big bird took it?" asked Goku. Raditz just clenched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"We gotta go after them!" replied Bulma. "But I can't fly..." replied Goku.

"Ah, but I can." added Raditz, channeling energy and levitating off the ground.

Bulma's mouth was agape and her jaw hit the ground at mach speed. _How...how is that even POSSIBLE?! What even IS this kid?!_

"Not a problem," commented Bulma, taking out a container full of pill-shaped devices. She took the one labeled "5", pressed down the little button on top, and threw it. In a puff of smoke, a large aircraft appeared, and Bulma hopped in. Goku, however, was terrified.

"B-Black magic! You ARE a sorcerer!" he gaped.

"Get with the times, short stack," griped Bulma. "it's not magic, it's a capsule! They're everywhere!"

"Well, we DO live in the mountains," replied Raditz. "so it's no surprise that we haven't heard of these."

"Oh...y-yeah!" she realized, starting up the engines and shoving Goku inside. "Here we go!" the ship's afterburners fired up as it took off, with Raditz in the lead.

Raditz suddenly spotted the ship they were pursuing dead ahead, and boosted his speed so that he was right nearby as Bulma and Goku started yelling for the pilots to land their ship.

Suddenly, the orange-haired lady opened up the side compartment of the plane and pulled out a machinegun. Once the ship was in place, she opened fire. Naturally, the bullets had no effect on Raditz, but the same couldn't be said for Bulma's plane...er, _hydrojet_.

However, if there was one thing people know about Bulma Briefs, it's that she is persistent. And she was like a fireball in hot pursuit of the dragonball-jackers. The minute she caught up to them, she unloaded her own supply of ammunition into their plane. Once they'd outflown them, Bulma laughed in the most cocky, self-assured way possible.

But then, that lady stepped atop the plane...holding a bazooka, which she promptly unloaded, causing the hydrojet to erupt in a shower of flames.

Goku and Bulma were plummeting to their seeming demise, but Raditz zipped downwards like a bullet as Goku threw his Power Pole to save Bulma while plummeting into the river. Lucky for him, Raditz caught him in the nick of time.

"What am I gonna do with you...?" Raditz sighed, shaking his head. Then the both of them glanced up to see Bulma dangling from the Power Pole, with _something_ falling down from below her.

"How come you're dripping? You didn't fall in the water!" Goku asked.

Bulma groaned. "BREATHE A WORD OF THIS AND I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!" she yowled, irritated at this twist of events.


	4. Enter the Oolong

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_

 _ **For those of you wondering WHY Goku isn't referred to as Kakarot, it's because he chose to keep it to honor Grandpa Gohan's memory...plus, it's easier for him to spell. And now, ON WITH THE SHOW, YO!**_

* * *

Later that night, Bulma, Goku, and Raditz were driving through the woods in Bulma's capsule-car.

"Thanks for the assist back there; for someone so runty, you're actually pretty helpful!" Bulma beamed.

"I'm so hungry..." groaned Goku, before Raditz kicked his brother's seat.

"Suck it up, Kakarot. You're a Saiyan, so ACT like it," he snapped. "That means no whining about hunger."

"But Radi-i-i-i-tz...I didn't even get to eat my fi-i-i-i-sh!"

"Well, whining and whimpering won't do a damned thing about it, so CAN IT!"

Eventually, the car screeched to a halt in a clearing, where a little girl was yelling about a red, shaggy-haired, cone-horned, pig-nosed, loincloth-clad monster trying to eat her.

Bulma took one look at the monster and freaked out. "GAAAH! MONSTER!"

The demon shook off his initial shock and turned back towards the little girl. "Looks like I gotta full-course meal!"

But Goku and Raditz were standing in front of the little girl this time. "I don't think so!" yelled Goku. "Because YOU'RE going to bed hungry!" added Raditz.

"Get lost, ya little shrimps!" yelled the monster.

"YOU beat it!" Goku snapped back, as the little girl quickly raced away. "Our grampa taught us it's wrong to pick on smaller people!"

"Just who do you think you are, anyway?" asked Raditz.

Bulma was cowering inside her car. "What are you two, insane?!" she yelped.

* * *

The pig-nosed demon guffawed with laughter. "Big words from a pair of runts! You ARE smaller than me! I could eat you two AND your furry tails in one gulp! But that's what happens when ya trifle with the power of the mighty Oolong!" he roared, pounding his chest like a gorilla. "Sure gives ya the willies, don't it?"

Raditz just looked on with a disinterested expression. "Not really. They say the weakest dogs bark the loudest, and you're barkin' awful loud."

"Oh, yeah?" Oolong retorted, sweating. "Well, just wait and see...this dog's BITE is plenty bad as his bark!" In a puff of smoke, the demon transformed into a giant robot holding a bowl of broth and chopsticks.

"Still feel like playin' da hero?!" chortled Oolong. "'Cuz I'll dunk you both in this soup 'til the flesh drops right off ya bones!" he laughed as he accidentally dipped his thumb into the bowl. "YEOOOOOOWW! YI-YI-YI-YI-YI!" he shrieked as he dropped the bowl and cradled his singed thumb.

"NOW YOU DONE IT!" he growled.

"I didn't do anything..." replied Goku.

"In fact, I bet you're not even as strong as you claim to be!" Raditz chimed in.

"Don't be stupid!" yelled Oolong. "I'm the most powerful being on Earth!"

Raditz scoffed. "Oh, yeah, right..."

"Oh YEAH?! And just how strong are YOU?!" asked Oolong.

"Well, before he died, our grandpa DID teach us kung-fu, plus I've been a fighter since I was only two!" replied Raditz, spinning the Power-Pole.

"Really now? If you're so tough, then try takin' down this tree!" retorted Oolong, gesturing to a large oak tree.

Goku shrugged. "Okay, can't be that hard."

Oolong just laughed. "Alright then, give it your best shot!" he replied.

Goku leapt up and slammed his fist right into the middle of the tree before landing back on the ground. A loud CR-R-R-R-ACK sound could be heard as the tree broke in half and fell over with a THUD.

Oolong began to sweat even more than he had before. Unlike him, these two boys could walk the walk AND talk the talk.

"Wouldja look at the time...heh-heh...gotta go!" he stammered, transforming into a bat and flying off into the woods. "See ya!" he laughed.

But Raditz wasn't content with letting him escape, and neither was Goku, so they took off after him.

* * *

Oolong was flying as fast as his little wings could carry him, as he noticed that the Monkey Bros. were hot on his trail.

Suddenly, the Power Pole shot out from the branches and struck him in the side of his mouth, sending him flying into a canyon with another puff of smoke.

"Alright, Oolong, what moronic transformation have you whipped up THIS round?" asked Raditz.

His response came in the form of a floppy-eared piglet dressed in a green cap, jacket, and trousers.

"News-flash, monkey boys: THIS IS MY REAL FACE!" he yelled.


	5. Showdown! Bandit Yamcha v Raditz

Before Oolong could utter another remark, it suddenly dawned on him just where they had ended up...

"This is bad...this is very VERY bad...!" he whimpered.

"Why?" Goku asked, though Raditz was a bit more impatient.

"Look, porky, either spill the beans or I spill your guts!" he demanded.

"Don't you get it, spikeball?!" Oolong shrieked. "None of us are gonna survive being here!"

Suddenly, a hail of gunshots filled the air, as Goku and Oolong danced to avoid getting shot. Raditz, however, stood firm and the bullets bounced off of him. Next, a man silhouetted by the moonlight leapt into the air, his sword in his hand.

" ** _IT'S YAMCHA..._**!" Oolong screamed in horror as the young man landed on the ground.

"Say hello to the mighty Lord Yamcha," announced a squeaky voice, belonging to a blue cat on the man's shoulder. "And I am his sidekick Puar!"

"That's enough for now, Puar," Yamcha ordered, causing his pint-sized subordinate to clam up. He then turned towards his quarry. "Hey, kids, if you wanna get out of here alive, then hand over all your money and capsules," he explained.

Raditz snorted. "I don't negotiate with common thieves," he retorted.

"Oh?" asked Yamcha. "Then I guess you die first..."

Raditz smirked. "Try if you can, big man..." he replied, taking a defensive stance. "I think you're in for quite the shock!"

Oolong rubbed his eyes as he saw the cat. "Waitaminute...Puar? As in...Little Cry-Baby Puar?" he asked.

Raditz kept his eyes on Yamcha while he spoke. "You know each other?"

"You bet we do!" Puar replied. "We went to school together, and he always picked on me! Luckily he got expelled for stealing the teacher's panties!"

Oolong snorted with rage and smoke flew from his nostrils. "Radish, was it?"

"Raditz, with a T-Z."

"Right, sure. Anyways...KICK THAT SHAGGY-HAIRED LOSER'S ASS FOR ME!"

Raditz cracked his knuckles, with a smile. "At last, a fight...I've been itching for some action!"

Yamcha snorted. "Be careful what you wish for...YOU JUST MIGHT GET IT!" he laughed, unsheathing his sword and slashing at Raditz, who simply dodged the blade several times, all with incredible ease, and finally caught it between his teeth and bit the blade so hard that it shattered like glass.

Yamcha's eyes nearly popped out of his skull and his jaw hit the ground like an anchor.

 _W...WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! This kid just bit through my sword like a pretzel stick, and shattered it like a window! There's no way he's human...no stinking way at all!_

On the sidelines, Puar was rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. There was no way his best friend, the toughest guy in the Diablo Desert, could be losing to some long-haired punk! This HAD to be some kind of crazy nightmare...or just dumb luck!

Oolong, on the other side of the spectrum, was positively ecstatic. If Raditz was tough enough to break a sword with only his teeth, then there was a great chance of them surviving this!

Goku's eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky-a sparkle of pure admiration. _Wow...my brother_ _is SO awesome! I wish I could join in, too...just watching is so dull…_

As if he read his mind, Raditz turned to Goku. "Hey, Kakarot! Get in here! I can't have ALL the fun!"

Goku giggled as he grinned, and leapt into the fray. "You ready, big brother?" he asked.

Raditz snorted with a smirk. "As if you had to ask," he retorted. "Now let's show this clown what Saiyan Brothers can do!"

By now, Yamcha had shaken off his initial shock, and regained his composure. "Normally, I don't like fighting children..." he commented, taking a fighting stance. "But you can only push someone so far until they start getting REALLY mad."

With a yell, Yamcha charged at the duo, raising his hand into the air to land a serious chop.

Goku pulled out the red staff in his holster and shouted, "POWER POLE EXTEND!"

The staff glowed red as one end shot forth, catching Yamcha in the gut. He doubled over and clutched his midsection in pain.

"Th-that staff...where did you get it...?" he grunted.

"Oh, this?" replied Goku. "I got it from my dead Grandpa."

Yamcha's eyes widened slightly as he put two and two together. "So that would mean...you two...are the grandchildren...of the legendary...Son Gohan?!"

Oolong knocked some dirt from his ear to hear better. "Wait...as in...THE Son Gohan? The legendary martial-arts master?" he asked. "Well, it makes sense how those two are able to make a stand against Yamcha…"

Yamcha snickered to himself. "That explains so much…" he realized. "...as if I needed another reason to stop holding back…" He took a stance, and grinned. "Now, _**GET A LOAD OF THIS!** **WOLF-FANG FIST…!**_ "

Before the brothers could even blink, Yamcha had surged forth like a blur, peppering his opponents' bodies with a frenzied flurry of claws, punches, and kicks, sending them both hurtling into the wall, leaving them buried under a pile of rubble.

While Puar was jumping for joy, Oolong had turned stark-white with terror; all the confidence and pride he'd been displaying a few minutes ago had evaporated faster than a snowball in Death Valley.

Yamcha dusted himself off, and then turned his glance towards Oolong, who figuratively (and possibly literally) defecated himself.

"D-don't hurt me!" he whimpered. "See? I can transform too! Watch!" And with a shout, a leap, and a _**BOM!,**_ Oolong had turned himself into a dragonfly, and quickly darted away.

"Puar!" ordered Yamcha. "Initiate 'Pest Control' maneuver!"

The blue cat saluted, then changed into a flyswatter, which quickly slapped Oolong down to the ground, changing him back to his porcine form, lying on his back.

"Not bad for a goody-goody little wimp, eh?" sneered Puar. But Oolong's attention was elsewhere...namely, the pile of rubble from which the Saiyan brothers had now emerged.

"You're good, I'll give you that much…" Goku called, as Raditz used his tail to dust his brother's head off.

"But now we're gonna show you THE REAL SUPERPOWER OF TEAMWORK!" the brothers yelled in unison, as Goku lurched at Yamcha. Quickly, the bandit threw a punch, but Goku blocked his fist with his fist.

Then, Raditz leapfrogged over Goku's head and poked Yamcha in the eyes with his fingers. And finally, Goku sent Yamcha flying with an open-palm slap to the face.

Puar's eyes were the size of dinner plates, and Oolong was dancing a gleeful jig. They'd won, at last!

"All RIGHT!" Raditz laughed, turning to his baby brother, who was glancing down at his grumbling stomach.

"Man….I'm still starving…" he groaned.

Yamcha pulled himself up from the rubble, his hand over his face. "Oh, that is SO it!" he snapped. But before he could launch another attack, headlights suddenly shone behind him. He turned to see Bulma stepping out of the van.

The second he saw her, his face turned red as a tomato, and he got a stupid look on his face. He froze up, and plummeted like a stone off of the bridge, landing with a crash.

Puar bounced over to his/her/their fallen master. "L-lord Yamcha, what happened back there?" the cat asked.

"Puar, we're calling a strategic retreat for now!" Yamcha ordered.

"But milord...your tooth!" gasped Puar.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Just look!" Puar replied, turning into a mirror. Yamcha glanced in the mirror and shrieked in horror. One of his glorious teeth had been knocked from his mouth during the fight!

"NO~OOO...! My handsome face is RUINED!" Yamcha wailed in anger. He grabbed Puar by the tail and ran away, screaming "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

Goku and Raditz glanced down from the bridge.

"What a loser..." Raditz snorted. "Gettin' all worked-up over one measly tooth? Hell, half the time dad came home with a POCKETFUL of teeth."

"But how could he eat...?" asked Goku.

"Take note, baby brother-I never said they were HIS teeth!" Raditz replied.

"Who WAS that guy?" yelled Bulma. "He was kinda hot!"

Feeling a twinge of jealousy, Raditz yelled, "THAT WAS THE GUY WHO WAS TRYING TO MURDER US, SO I WOULDN'T CONSIDER GETTING HIS CONTACT INFORMATION!"


	6. Penny's Plight, and a Surprise Visitor

Chapter Six: **Penny's Plight, and a Surprise Visitor**

* * *

A little while later, everyone was sitting inside Oolong's camper van. Turns out he'd secretly had a No. 8 capsule on him, and he hadn't bothered mentioning it to the others. Talk about rude...

"Look, Oolong, if you're gonna stay with us, we gotta set some ground rules," explained Bulma. "like for one, no 30-foot-monsters in the van."

Oolong glanced up with a disinterested look. "Sure, pick on the pig, why don'cha? 'Snot like it's _my_ camper I let you sleep in…"

Bulma then turned towards the little girl. "And what were you doing out so late at night, Penny?"

"I'm sorry…" Penny sighed, bowing her head. "I get that it was dangerous, but I hafta find the island home of the great Master Roshi!"

"Master Roshi…?" asked Bulma. "I've heard of 'im," added Oolong. "They call 'im the 'Turtle Hermit'; he's one a' those zen-master types. Lives all alone in a dinky little hut; supposed to be a big martial-arts expert."

"Wow!" beamed Goku, his mouth full of chewed-up meat. "He sounds like somebody I'd like to know!"

"Come to think of it, we're heading south as well!" Bulma replied to Penny. "Please, take us along! I'll teach Goku some table manners, and my friend can help me!"

Raditz's ear perked up. "What friend are you talking about?" he asked.

"The tall lady with the shaggy black hair and the pink and green clothes and the black pants and white boots!" explained Penny. "She's right outside!"

Raditz couldn't believe it; only one person he knew who matched that description…but there was no way…right?

"Here, I'll let her inside!" Penny added, walking over to the door and opening it. And as soon as she did, Raditz's eyes widened in shock.

There, standing in the doorway, was a woman with shoulder-length shaggy black hair, onyx eyes, sleeveless black bodysuit and pink combat armor highlighted with green and outlined by white, in addition to purple armbands and white boots.

And to top it off…she had a long, bushy tail swinging freely from her backside.

The words practically hung in Raditz's throat. "M-MOMMA?!" he gasped.

Gine's eyes went wide. "Raditz? Kakarot?" she asked. "Is it really you…?"

And at that moment, everyone saw Raditz do something that they'd never known him to do before…he broke down crying, and embraced his mother in a bear-hug.

"I….thought…you…were…dead…!"sniffled Raditz.

"Of course not!" Gine smiled, running her fingers through her eldest son's mane. "I intended to catch up with you and Kakarot once I'd made sure you two were off the planet!"

"Off-planet?" asked Bulma. "Alright, would SOMEBODY please explain just _what_ is going on? What's with all this talk of other planets and kaka-whatevers?!"

Gine turned towards Bulma and glanced at her….very, very closely. Then, she turned back to Raditz.

"Raditz, who's that? Is she your mate…?" inquired Gine, a cheeky smile on her face; Raditz's face, however, had gone red with embarrassment.

"Mo-o-o-o-m-m-m! Not in front of my traveling companions!" he griped.

"Hey Raditz, why were ya huggin' that lady?" asked Goku.

"Idiot, that's our MOTHER!" Raditz hissed. "And don't talk with your mouth full, it's RUDE!"

* * *

 _ **ONE EXPLANATION LATER…**_

* * *

"So Goku and Raditz are from another planet?" asked Bulma. Gine nodded in response.

"That would explain the tails…" added Oolong. "Not to mention the freakish strength."

"But getting back to the matter at hand, why do you wanna meet this Turtle Hermit anyway?" Bulma asked Penny.

"Because he's powerful; he could save my home from being destroyed, and maybe the whole world!" Penny explained.

"The whole world…?" asked Bulma in disbelief.

"Alright, maybe not, but maybe he could save my neighborhood from the meanies digging up all our Blood Rubies!" protested Penny.

"Did you say Blood Rubies?" asked Bulma, and Penny nodded.

"What are blood rubies?" asked Goku. "The most valuable gemstones known to mankind." replied Bulma.

"What are gemstones?"

"Cripes, you're dense…gemstones are shiny rocks like the Dragon Balls!"

And before Goku could say anything else, Bulma just retorted that she'd tell him later, even though Goku hadn't said anything that time.

Penny picked up her cup, and drank down its contents. "Y'see, it all started when someone learned of the Blood Rubies…they look really pretty, but they've got some kind of evil curse in them. Our king used to be kind, but since he started minin' for rubies, he's turned into a mean ol' creep!" she explained. "He's become cruel and greedy; his armies have torn up our land, and he doesn't even care that he's destroying our people! King Gourmeth has made our lives miserable…and there's nothing we can do…what can a few farmers do against an entire army? They do what they want, and make us watch as our flowers and forests slowly die. And what's worse is the king is after the Dragon Balls, and he's already got five! When he collects all of them, no doubt he'll make some horrible wish!"

Bulma blinked, shocked. "Wait, King Gourmeth is after the balls, too? That would explain those guys who ransacked Goku and Raditz's house…but why don'cha just let Gine here kick their butts herself? She seems real tough!"

"Actually, mother is a pacifist, and when she lived on planet Vegeta, she worked as a butcher," explained Raditz.

"All the more reason for us to find Master Roshi before it's too late!" replied Penny. "Only he can help me out of this mess."

But unbeknownst to our heroes, a certain pugnacious pair was outside, listening to every word.

"You heard that, right, Puar?" asked Yamcha. "Clear as crystal!" replied the cat. "C'mon then, it's time the both of us took a little trip…" the desert bandit snickered to himself.


End file.
